Curried Sweet Potato

This dish probably won't win any beauty contests, but I'm here to tell you, it is completely unmissable. The curry itself is a thick mash of deliciousness. Also, it's really easy to make. Also, it's a super healthy dinner. Is there anything better? (sidenote: I swear, none of this enthusiasm is sarcastic or exaggerated) This recipe comes from the lovely folks over at Epicurious. I've never heard of Harley Pasternack, but if this recipe is any indication, he's a darn fine cook.

The curry itself is a really nice balance of sweet and spicy, and marries really well with some cilantro chutney. Unfortunately, I didn't make either the chutney or the paratha myself. However, if you follow either of those links, they will take you to the blog of my Indian cooking guru. Watching her videos is not only good for your cooking, it is good for your soul. Honestly, she is the gold standard of vegetarian Indian cooking.

Recipe (serves 2-3):

- 1/2 onion, diced

- 2 tsp. Thai red curry paste
- 1 tsp. ground cumin

- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

- 1 large sweet potato, mostly peeled and diced up small

- 3/4 c. skim milk (though you night need more)

- 1/2 c. nonfat yogurt

- 2 1/2 tsp. lime juice

- Salt and black pepper

- 2 tsp. vegetable oil

Directions:

1) Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the onions and fry until golden brown.

2) Add curry paste, cumin and cinnamon and stir to combine. If the curry paste is on the dry side, add a bit of water. Saute for 30 seconds.

3) Add sweet potato and cook for 2 minutes. If the potato starts to stick, add a bit of water to the pan. Add salt and pepper

4) Add milk. Simmer for 12 minutes. Feel free to splash some more milk into the pan if it looks like it is getting dried out. Stir it fairly often. By the end of the 12 minutes, the milk will have thickened considerably and the potatoes will be tender. If neither or those things have happened, let it sit a bit longer.

5) Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender. Add yogurt and lime juice. Puree it until most of the lumps are gone.

6) Serve with cilantro chutney and warm bread.

Seriously, it is ridiculously good.

Until our next dinner,

ceh.

A Tale of Two Granolas

I was considering calling this post "GRANOLA DEATH MATCH (Duh duh DUH duh)" Good thing I decided against that...

I have been experimenting with making granola at home. These two recipes use a lot of the same basic ingredients, like cashews, dried sour cherries, honey and rolled oats. But, as is true in all cooking, the little tweaks made on each side make a world of difference. So, there will be two recipes, but only one set of directions because granola making is really in the ingredient list. The pictures are virtually indistinguishable...but I wanted to lend drama to the post.

Recipe #1 is a rich and delicious combination of honey and peanut butter. It is super tasty and has some real weight to it in the flavor profile. It burns a bit more easily, so make sure to keep an eye on that.

Recipe #2 is more of a salty-sweet vibe and is a good deal crunchier, which is definitely a plus for me. It is more of what I think traditional granola really tastes like. The flavor is lighter and it is really great. Also, it is inspired by Alton Brown, who is lovely and wonderful.

Recipe #1:

- 1/2 c. honey

- 1/2 c. peanut butter

- 1 tsp. vanilla extract

- 3 c. rolled oats

- 3/4 c. cashews

- 1 c. sunflower seeds

- 1/4 tsp. salt

- 1 c. dried sour cherries

Recipe #2

- 1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. dark brown sugar

- 1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. honey

- 1/4 c. vegetable oil

- 3 c. rolled oats

- 1 c. cashews

- 1 c. raw pumpkin seeds

- 3/4 tsp. salt

- 1 c. dried sour cherries

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 275 degrees

2) Combine all dry ingredients (except dried fruit) in one bowl, and all wet ingredients in another. Make sure that both mixtures are well integrated. With both wet mixtures, I used a fork to incorporate ingredients.

3) Mix dry and wet ingredients. Stir until well combined.

4) Pour out mixture on a greased or lined baking pan (I used 9x13).

5) Bake for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

6) Add dried fruit while mixture is still warm. Allow it to cool to room temperature before storing.

7) Store in fridge.

Let me know what you think if you make either one of these recipes. I can't decide which one I like better. I guess I'll just keep tinkering with them until I figure it out!

Until our next breakfast,

ceh.

Grown Up Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

First off, I'm sorry that I have been missing in action for the past few weeks. I have been driving around the midwest like crazy, and that means I've been cooking, but not having too much time for writing.

And now, on with the show!

Confession: I have a lot of love for rhubarb. I love the super tart flavor, the hidden vegetable-ness of it, the whole thing. It makes an awesome sauce for ice cream and a great raw snack (when very fresh). It is most commonly invoked in the form of strawberry rhubarb pie, and that's just fine with me. I'm not a huge fan of pie generally, but the combination of strawberries and rhubarb is heaven, as long as you don't mess with it too much.

This crumble top rhubarb pie has a nice black pepper kick to it which nicely compliments the sweet-tart filling. This particular recipe comes from Heidi Swanson and her wonderful blog, 101 Cookbooks. She made this as a crumble, but I chose to make it as a pie.

Recipe:

3/4 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. rolled oats

1/3 c. pecan pieces

1/3 c. walnut pieces

1 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/3 c. melted butter

1/2 lb. strawberries, cut into quarters

12 oz. rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 frozen pie crust

Directions:

1) Remove pie crust from freezer and let it thaw out a bit. Also, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Combine flour, nuts, 1/2 c. sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir in melted butter. Once well mixed, put the mixture in the freezer.

3) Whisk together cornstarch and remaining 1/2 c. sugar in a bowl. Add strawberries and rhubarb and mix until all the pieces have been covered by the mixture.

4) Pour strawberry/rhubarb/sugar/cornstarch mixture into the pie shell. Retrieve other mixture from the freezer and crumble it across the top. Try and compact the mixture a bit so that it forms a cohesive pie.

5) Bake for about 40-45 minutes. You will want to put a cookie sheet under the pan as it is baking, unless you love to clean your oven.

5b) If the edges start to brown too quickly, put a halo of tinfoil around the edge of the pan. You will know the pie is done because it will be golden brown across the crumble topping and the filling will be bubbling away like mad.

My whole family really enjoyed this pie, and I have a feeling that you will too.

Until our next dessert,

ceh.

Scallion-Tofu Ramen

This recipe is another riff on something from Mark Bittman's formidable How to Cook Everything. It is a delicious and spicy and wonderful. I was dining solo tonight, so this recipe served one (very hungry!) me, but I think it might be able to serve 2 less-hungry adults.

Recipe:
2 tbsp. neutral oil
1-2 tsp. red chili flakes (depending on how spicy you like things)
3 tsp. chopped garlic
1 1/2 tsp. chopped ginger
7 oz. extra firm tofu
3 green onions, sliced with green and white parts divided.
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/3 c. cashews
1/3 c. vegetable (or other) stock
1 pkg. Ramen noodles

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a skillet until hot. Add Garlic, chili flakes and ginger. Fry until very fragrant (1-2 mins).
2) Add tofu and white parts of green onions. Fry until the tofu starts to brown. Add cashews and fry for an additional 1-2 mins.
3) Add stock and boil until the liquid reduces by half.
4) Cook noodles according to package directions.
5) Add soy sauce and green sections of onions.
6) Serve tofu-scallion mixture on top of noodles. Try to hold yourself back from gobbling long enough to take a better picture than me.

Until our next dinner,
ceh.

Dried Cherry/Peanut Butter Breakfast Treats

I have never been a huge fan of breakfast. It's just never been my thing. If I do have breakfast it's almost always granola and yogurt. But this recipe, my friends, might just change all of that. These are sometimes called "breakfast cookies," but they are really nothing like cookies. I've opted to just call them breakfast treats. The recipe is extremely flexible and almost anything about it can be altered to suit your tastes. I've been having mine in the mornings with a couple of scoops of Greek yogurt, so I guess not all that much has changed...

This was a totally experimental cooking adventure, so if you know of ways to make these tastier, please leave any ideas in the comments.

Recipe (Makes 6-8 treats):

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/2 c. honey

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. rolled oats

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1/3 c. milk

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 c. dried sour cherries

3/4 c. crushed cashews and pecans

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) Mix together peanut butter, honey and vanilla.
3) Add milk to the above mixture.
4) In a separate bowl, mix together nuts, dried fruit, oats, baking soda, oats and flour.
5) Mix together wet and dry ingredients.
6) Place the mixture by spoonfuls on a greased baking sheet
7) Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the scoops.
8) Let treats cool completely before storing.

Feel free to experiment, and let me know how it goes!

Until our next breakfast,
ceh.

Nut Tart

Well, less meatatarians, this is my first post about baking, and it's a dang good recipe. I found it while trolling around the blogosphere at a lovely and wonderful blog called Fragrant Vanilla Cake. (How can you NOT love something with a name like that?). The author over there seems to be some kind of wizard in the baking arena, and I have yet to find something on that blog that doesn't make my mouth water.

So, on to the specifics. I am a big fan of pecan pie, but this takes things to a whole different level. It's got pecans, sure, but also pine nuts, pistachios, cashews and almonds. That combined with a truly amazing almond and vanilla-scented shortbread crust? A total home run.

This tart was part of the going-away celebrations of a certain Bengali gentleman. He will certainly be missed while he is away.

Check out the recipe here. I have nothing more to add because it was just fantastic.

Until our next dessert,

ceh.

Wild Rice and Goat Cheese stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

This recipe is definitely a favorite of mine. It has a proven luckiness track record for me. It was the first dinner I cooked for a certain Bengali gentleman about 2.5 years ago, and let's just say that turned out well. These mushrooms involve a good bit of preparation, but the good news is that it can all be done ahead and then thrown in the oven at the last minute. You can assemble the mushrooms (with everything except the bread crumbs), wrap them individually in plastic and keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days. Just take them out of the fridge, add bread crumbs and throw them in the oven.

The recipe for these comes from a lovely little publication called The Vegetarian Times, and I follow it pretty much to the T. It's delicious and really filling.

Recipe:
2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
8 oz. button or white mushrooms, chopped
3 clove garlic, minced (3 tsp.)
1 cup cooked wild rice
1 package goat cheese, crumbled
4 large portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed (a how-to on this process can be found here)
1 package cherry (or other small) tomatoes, cut in half
2 Tbs. lemon juice
4 tbsp. fine breadcrumbs, divided
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1) Cook wild rice according to package directions. Set aside to cool
2) Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and grease a baking sheet.
3) Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook for approximately 5 minutes.
4) Stir in button mushrooms and chopped stems from portobellas, salt and black pepper. Allow to cook for about 9 minutes, or until most of the water from the mushrooms has evaporated.
5) Stir in Wild rice and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
6) Remove from heat and stir in goat cheese.
7) Place the portobella caps on the baking sheet and fill each with 1/4 of the filling.
8) Toss the cherry tomatoes with lemon juice, then place them on top of the mushrooms (it helps to push them into the filling a bit. Pour any extra lemon juice on the mushrooms.
9) Sprinkle 1 tbsp. bread crumbs on top of each of the mushrooms.
10) Bake for 30-35 minutes. Serve with extra wild rice or salad.

I hope this recipe is as lucky for you as it is for me!

Until our next dinner,
ceh.

Greek Shrimps

The plural of shrimp is not actually shrimps. But I really like the word shrimps. And now on with the show.

The idea of cinnamon as a spice that isn't exclusively used in sweet foods has been a big deal for me lately. Just writing that sentence makes me feel like a loser, but it's seriously true. Cinnamon is a lovely and rich and spicy flavor that lends itself really nicely to a lot of different sea food and grain dishes. I'll be honest, the taste of these shrimp is pretty intense, in a really excellent (have a glass of water at the ready) kind of way. This recipe is closely-based on one I originally saw over at Epicurious. I served it with some multi-grain baguette, but it would also work with some good rice.

As you can see from the picture, this isn't the prettiest dinner I've ever made, but the lack of leftovers speaks for itself. The food disappeared real quickly.

Recipe:
1 white onion, chopped
2 tsp. chopped garlic
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. red-pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dill seeds
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 pinch of sugar

1 1/4 lb. shrimp, deveined

1 package feta cheese

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Heat the olive oil in a large pot on the stove. Cook onions and garlic with a pinch of salt until they are soft.

3) Add dill seed, cinnamon, allspice, chili flakes and a sprinkle of black pepper and cook for 30 seconds

4) Add tomatoes in juice and sugar and simmer until the volume reduces by 1/2, or about 20 minutes.

5) Remove pan from heat and stir in shrimp with a bit more salt.

6) Pour the mixture into a baking dish, and sprinkle the top with the feta cheese.

7) Bake the mixture for 18 to 20 minutes.

8) Sit back and watch the food disappear.

Until our next dinner,

ceh.

Ramen, but better

One of the major food groups in my life is noodles. So many different shapes and sizes that are the perfect canvas for all sorts of flavors. A really quick and easy noodle dish that is a staple in my repertoire is based in Maruchan Ramen. (Yes, the 10-15¢ collegiate delicacy). With a few quick fixes, this bottom shelf staple can become a seriously good meal.

The flavors are pretty basic, but the combo is out of this world. This recipe is for a single serving, but you can definitely multiply it for the number of people you're serving.

Recipe:
1 packet Ramen, Oriental (which is probably offensive) flavor
1/4 c. frozen corn
1/4 c. frozen baby lima beans
A handful of cashews
1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
juice from one lime
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. hot Asian flavored hot sauce (like Sriracha)
small splash of neutral oil

Directions:
1) Cook Noodles according to directions, without adding the flavor packet. Drain the water, set aside.
2) Heat oil in a frying pan. Add corn and lima beans to the oil and cook until the corn caramelizes slightly, and the beans cook through. Add the cashews and cook until they are lightly toasted.
3) Add noodles to the pan and stir to combine.
4) Sprinkle contents of flavor packet over the noodles, corn and beans. Add soy sauce, lime juice, sugar and hot sauce.
5) Stir fry until most of liquid has evaporated.
6) Pour into a bowl and try to wait for it to cool down a bit before eating. (seriously, I dare you not to burn your mouth on this one...)

Until our next dinner,
ceh.

Black Bean Pancakes

I am a huge fan of pretty much anything with black beans. We're talking Huge. Fan. So, I'm claiming that as my excuse for why the picture on this post is real blurry. It's because I was just way too excited to adequately photograph my plate. Lame, but totally true.

This recipe is an unexpected powerhouse (fast) dinner, that was introduced to me by the awesome author at More Cheese, More Chocolate. I'm a huge fan of her work and decided to give this recipe a spin. She got the inspiration from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything (the old edition). One word: Awesome.

Recipe:
2 c. canned beans (I used all black beans.)
1 c. milk
1 egg
2 tbsp. melted butter or olive oil (both work, but the pancakes with butter are a bit more prone to burning on the stove)
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. chili powder (optional)
salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:
1) Roughly mash up the beans with the back of a fork until about half of them are crushed up.
2) Add milk, egg and butter/oil and stir up.
3) Add flour, chili powder (if using), salt and pepper. Stir to combine, but don't overstir it.
4) Melt a bit of flour in a skillet, and cook them up like pancakes. They take about 3 minutes a side, depending on how thick the batter is, and how hot your skillet is.
5) Keep warm on a pan in a 150 degree oven until all pancakes are cooked.
6) Serve with salsa, corn chips, corn on the cob (all pictured above), sour cream, guacamole, etc. Basically, whatever you want.

I served these to a (very) skeptical audience, and they were totally won over. I really think that you will be too.

Until our next dinner,
ceh.

Channa (chickpea curry)

Indian food, especially curry, has a really bad reputation for being unhealthy. The food served in Indian restaurants (and all restaurants) the world over generally employs short cuts for good taste. However, if you use slow heat and good spices, you can make a healthy and super tasty Indian food at home.

One of my favorite (quick) vegetarian curries is Channa, or chickpea curry. It's spicy and delicious, and goes well with both flat breads (roti, paratha, naan or even tortillas in a pinch) or rice. The curry, as I make it, is a thick and protein rich and a super satisfying low-maintenance weeknight meal. This recipe serves 3-5 people.

Recipe:

2 cans of Chickpeas

1 White Onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp. ginger paste, or 1 inch fresh ginger, minced

2-3 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. cumin seed (you could also use ground cumin, but add this portion when you are meant to add the seeds)

2 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp. turmeric

3/4 tsp. chili powder

3/4 tsp. black pepper

3 tbsp. vegetable oil (or another neutral oil)

1 c. water

Salt, to taste

Directions:

1) Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add onions to the oil and fry until golden. Add ginger and garlic to the saucepan.

2) Add cumin seeds and fry until some of the seeds start to pop. At this point, the onion should be deeply golden brown. If the onions/garlic/ginger/cumin seed mixture starts to stick to the pan, add a bit of water to deglaze the pan.

3) Add the other spices and tomato paste. By this point, you should have a fairly thick paste. If you want to thin it a bit, or if it is sticking to the pan, then add a bit more water, and stir.

4) Fry this paste until the spices are very fragrant. Add water if you would like to thin it out a bit.

5) Drain chickpeas. Add the beans to the spice paste and stir to combine. Add a bit of water.

6) Cover and let the mixture cook for a minimum of 15 minutes, or up to a couple of hours. Check on the mixture regularly and add water if it is sticking to the pan.

7) Serve, with bread or rice, and cilantro chutney.

This is definitely a go-to in my house. I hope you enjoy it!

Until our next dinner,

ceh.

Mango Lassi/Loshi

Mango Lassi might be the world's most perfect summer drink. It's called Aam Loshi in Bengali (I was taught to make this by a certain Bengali gentleman). You can make lassi with pistachios, but I have yet to venture down that road, in no small part because of how much I like the mango variety.

This isn't a recipe, per se, because every single ingredient can basically be listed as "to taste." The important thing to remember is to taste the mango pulp before you use it, because the taste can be vastly different from batch to batch on the sweet-to-tart scale. But I promise you, all the tweaking will be worth it.

Recipe:

2 cups non-fat plain yogurt

1 cup mango pulp (Kesar brand is best)

2-3 tbsp. sugar

1-2 pinches cinnamon (optional)

1-2 pinches ground cardamom (optional)

a few crushed cashews (optional garnish)

Directions:

1) Combine the first 5 ingredients in a blender, and blend until everything is combined.

2) Taste and tweak if necessary

3) Serve in glasses with ice, garnish with crushed cashews

4) Enjoy and try not to hog it all

Until our next dinner,

ceh.

Pita Chips!

These guys are probably my favorite snack food right now. Easy as pie to make and way more cost effective than the kind that come pre-bagged. These are great on their own or with dip, and can easily be modified however you choose.

Recipe:

1 Package of pita (I like whole wheat best)

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Directions

1) Preheat the broiler on your oven

2) Open the pita pockets and rip at the back seam so that you have a single layer of pita.

3) Cut each half pita into quarters (so each full pita will make 8 chips)

4) Arrange the pita pieces on a baking sheet. Brush each with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper on each.

5) Put the pan of pita pieces in the oven (under the broiler) for about 2 1/2 minutes. Make sure to check every 30 seconds or so because these burn quickly, and the broiling time can be very different, depending on the heat of your oven.

I think that these would be very nice with cinnamon and sugar, or with some parmesan cheese added. The sky is the limit!

Until our next dinner,

ceh.

Bulgur (Vulgar) Wheat

Bulgar, Spinach and Tomato Pilaf

Well, after such a meat-centric dish, It's probably time to go mostly vegan, right? The dinner can be completely vegan if you choose, just omit the yogurt.

Tonight's dinner (to celebrate a fabulous friend's successes!) was bulgur wheat pilaf. One regular at dinner has taken to calling it "Vulgar Wheat," and that sort of stuck. It's a tasty combination that is a variant of a recipe from Heidi Swanson's fabulous blog, 101 Cookbooks. For my purposes, I streamlined the recipe a bit and served it with some hummus, baba ganoush, cucumber/tomato salad and pita chips. A lovely middle-Eastern inspired feast!

Recipe (serves 3-5):
1 Medium sized white onion, diced
5-8 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves of Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 1/2 cups bulgur wheat
(I prefer the finer ground wheat, but the coarser grinds work as well, they just take a bit longer to cook)
2 cups vegetable broth
10-12 oz. fresh spinach
12-15 plum tomatoes
2 tbsp. balsamic vineagar
1 1/2 tsp. chili garlic hot sauce (like Cholula)
2 tsp. soft brown sugar

Directions:
1) Preheat over to 350 degrees.
2) Cut the plum tomatoes in half. Mix half of the olive oil, hot sauce and balsamic vinegar together. Toss the tomatoes in the mixture.
3) Place the tomatoes cut side up in a baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake tomatoes for 20-25 minutes.
4) Heat a large skillet over medium heat with the remaining olive oil. Fry the diced onion in the oil until it is starting to turn golden on the edges. Add garlic and cinnamon and fry for another 1-2 minutes.
5) Add spinach to the pan and cook with onions, garlic and spices until beginning to wilt. Add lemon juice and cook for another minute.
6) Add vegetable broth and warm. The broth doesn't need to boil, but should be warm.
7) Add bulgur and stir. Cover the pan and cook until all the liquid is absorbed.
8) Add tomatoes on top of the mixture. You can also pour any of the remaining olive oil/balsamic/hot sauce mixture over the pilaf at this point, if you want.

Serve with Greek yogurt, pita chips or just by itself. Mostly, just enjoy it!

Until our next dinner,
ceh.

Any word, I show you that the root of that word is Greek.

Spanakopita

My best friend is Greek, and I can tell you for sure that nothing in the world compares with her dad's spanakopita. It's a delicious spinach pie that is lightly spiced with a bit of feta cheese. to. die. for. This is my version, which is (I think) the next best thing. The important thing to remember here is to get as much water out of the spinach as possible before you start to assemble the pies. I make two 8-inch pies with this and then put one in the freezer (for up to a month or so) to whip out for a quick dinner.

This recipe makes 2 8-inch pies

Recipe:

1/2 package filo dough

3 packages frozen spinach, thawed

5 tbsp. garlic

1 large white onion

6-8 oz. walnuts, toasted

16 oz. (approximately) feta cheese

2-3 eggs

8 tbsp. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp. of nutmeg

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put all of the spinach in a colander, and squeeze out as much moisture from it as you can. After you are done, it should be significantly smaller in volume, but that's good.

2) In a non-stick pan, heat approximately 2 tbsp. of olive oil and add the onions. Fry them until they are soft and just turning brown at the edges.

3) Add garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper and fry for another 1-2 minutes.

4) Add Walnuts and spinach and stir until everything is incorporated. Then, turn of the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature

5) While the mixture is cooling, get out your filo dough. For tips on working with this infamously tricky material, I think this is a great resource: Tips on Handling Phyllo Dough Sheets. You can get your station set up with the damp towel, pastry brush and extra olive oil in a bowl.

6) Take the cooled spinach/onion/garlic mixture and mix in the eggs and feta cheese. It's a judgement call on whether it is 2 or 3 eggs. You are looking for a texture that loosely holds it shape, but isn't too sticky.

7) Commence filo dough layering. Put one layer down, brush it with olive oil, then put another down. You want to form a crust that is about 6-8 layers deep in the bottom of each pan. It's also good if there are edges hanging over, these will be folded over the filling later.

8) Divide the mixture in half and fill each pan. Fold the edges of the bottom crust over the top of the filling, making sure to brush oil on each layer.

9) Layer the top crust, again 6-8 layers deep, pushing the edges of the filo dough sheets down into the sides of the pan.

10) Put the pie in the oven, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden.

*A side note: if you are cooking a pie from the freezer, do not thaw in advance. Just put the pie from the freezer in the oven at 350, and bake it for about 40-45 minutes. And there you have it!

Until our next dinner,

ceh.

Well, I've never been to Spain/But I kinda like the music...

Shrimp Paella

Tonight for dinner, we had paella. This was a distinctly non-vegetarian version to satisfy some very carnivorous visitors to my place. It's a classic Spanish dish (hence the 3 Dog Night lyrics...) and it's a great combination of crunchy and rich and spicy. This was my first time rolling out the recipe, and it was a runaway success.

The prep for cooking is a bit of work, but once everything is chopped and ready to go, then the cooking process is easy and super rewarding!

This batch served three hungry eaters with leftovers -- I would say probably 4-6 servings in total.

Recipe:

1 lb Shrimp (deveined and headless, but with the shells on)

1/2 lb chorizo, diced

1 chicken breast, cut into 1 inch dice

2 1/2 cups white short grain rice (like arborio)

1 white onion

1 tbsp. chopped garlic

3 tomatoes, peeled and seeded and roughly chopped

3 1/2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

1/2 cup white wine

2-4 tbsp. Olive Oil

2 tsp. paprika

1 pinch turmeric

1 pinch saffron

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

4 tbsp. fresh parsley, for garnish

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1) Heat a bit of olive oil in a 10-12 inch non-stick skillet on the stove until it is very hot. Then add the chicken and cook until brown.

2) Warm the stock with the turmeric and the saffron. Stir occasionally to make sure the spices are dissolving and incorporated.

3) Add onions, garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and cook until they are soft and most of the water has evaporated from the pan

4) Add chorizo and paprika and cook until fragrant. Then add tomatoes. Again, cook until most of the liquid is gone from the pan.

5) Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Cook for approximately 5 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half.

6) Add the rice and cook until it is translucent around the edges, approximately 1-2 minutes.

7) Slowly pour the spiced stock into the pan and stir until everything is just incorporated.

8) Arrange the shrimp around the top of the pan and cover the pan. Turn down the heat to medium low. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed.

9) Take off the lid and turn the heat back up for 3-5 minutes to get a crispy layer on the bottom and sides of the pan.

10) Sprinkle parsley across the top and voila!

I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I did.

Until our next dinner,

ceh.